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8/16/2019 HowToAcquireNewCustomersAndKeepThem Ch

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How to acquire newcustomers and keep them

An essential guide from Thawte

WHITE PAPER 2014



Contents:

SEO for multi-device Platforms 3

SEO for Multi-device Platforms 3

Landing Page Optimisation 3 - 4

Security Practices that Will Improve Your Conversion Rate 5

Using Trust Logos to Drive Visitor acquisit ion 6

Using Trust Logos to Improve Customer Conversion 7

How to acquire new customers and keep them

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Web-based marketing is widespread amongst companies of all sizes however at

the same time, online advertising is undergoing signi cant changes. As a resultmany web developers have become frustrated as previously successful searchengine optimisation (SEO) and online advertising methods aren’t generating thetypes of return in terms of increasing website visitors and conversion rates asthey have in the past.

It’s worth noting that website developers should not lose sight of the original purpose of SEO and online ads, which is to

provide an ef cient way to nd prospective customers using websites and search engines (and vice versa). With that in

mind, surely there are many other ways to nd and exploit potential growth opportunities.

And now is the time for businesses with an online presence – (not just those who do their business online but all thosethat have a website) - to consider a new approach to traditional SEO and online advertising in order to maximise the

return on investment in online marketing.

This whitepaper offers advice to frustrated web site developers, ecommerce managers and web marketers who feel that

their web marketing return has levelled out, with some hints on how to improve visitor acquisition and conversion rates.



Landing Page Optimisation

Even if you have the highest ranked search results this can all mean nothing if the visitors you attract leave your site

quickly after arriving, without looking closely at your products or pages. Landing page optimisation is a vital way of

ensuring visitors can be enticed to stay and shop. It is no longer enough to show content that matches the

keywords the visitor used when they found your site; these days, you need to try harder as described below.

On average, a visitor to your website will spend a maximum of 10-20 seconds (probably less) on any one page. So

rst impressions are often the only impressions. When you review and assess the effectiveness of your landing pages

or key site pages you might want to consider the following:

• What is the rst thing you see? Remember in most cases this is the only thing most visitors will see.

• Is there any information you couldn’t absorb in 10 seconds? In that case does it need to be there?

• Is there a visible sign of your website’s security? Consumers are looking for signs of credibility, such as the Thawte

Trusted Site Seal.

• Is there an obvious and easy call-to-action visible without the need to scroll down the page?

• Are you asking the right type of questions on your site? If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

• What is your loading speed like? Google has found that people will visit a website less often if it is slower than a

close competitor by more than 250 milliseconds. That’s less than the blink of an eye. So keep your page simple

and keep it fast.


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The rebirth of SEO and Online Ads

SEO for multi-device Platforms As we all know, internet access trends show we are now driven by

smartphones and tablets rather than by conventional computers.

Search engines such as Google tailor search results and ads in

accordance with various factors, including location, language and,

more recently, by device. It’s possible that the difference in order

of search results between a computer and a smartphone may

result in stagnant sales via the website.

Google offers advertisers a tool that lets them simulate search

results and listing ads according to different location,language and, importantly, by device. This enables advertisers

to gauge the differences in search outcomes depending on the

location, language and devices that consumers may use to conduct

their searches therefore allowing the business owner to constantly

change, tweak and adapt search campaigns on the y.

A search made using a desktop compu ter in the United States.

A search made using an iOS device in the United Kingd om

Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool: An example of asearch where the client uses Google AdWords




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Displ ayin g a security mark so visitors know the site is reliableHow can an e-commerce site boost sales to site visitors? In one study, 115 of 152 respondents (about 75%) said they

have quit a purchase because they could not nd a trust logo on the website. It can therefore be concluded that many

visitors hesitate to enter into a transaction on a website they cannot trust. In other words, a trust logo on a website’s

landing and payment pages can help strengthen new visitor acquisition by indicating the site’s trustworthiness.

http://www.actualinsights.com/2011/shopping-cart-abandonment-trust-logos/

Choices

Yes 115

No 13.16% 20

Not sure 11.18% 17

Total 152

Percentage Count

75.66 %

75.66%

Smartphone/Tablet friendly sitesIt’s worth bearing in mind that two-thirds of consumers use their smartphones to research product information andnearly a fth of consumers use their smartphones to shop. You don’t necessarily have to develop a mobile version of

your site, but you do need it to be mobile-friendly:

• Make calls-to-action and links big enough for touch-screens

• Keep your website text simple and clear

• Don’t use Flash on any vital parts of your site

• Keep your shopping basket process simple and allow visitors to buy as a guest rather than having to register to

reduce the amount of form- lling on phones (this also in most cases stops people abandoning).

Proof point: Domino’s Pizza achieves 13% of all digital sales through mobile devices

(source http://econsultancy.com/blog/10604-pizza-hut-takes-aim-at-domino-s-with-new-mobile-site ).

Domino’s have invested in a mobile speci c site and app; but optimising for mobile is quite often enough without a

huge additional investment.

Have you ever not purchased something because you did not recognise any of the trust logos?




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Security Practices that Will Improve Your Conversion Rate

How then, in an age when SEO and online ads are commonplace, should you set about maximising sales via your web -

site? Before looking at the nitty-gritty, let us rst consider online purchasing behaviour.

The diagram below illustrates that most websites work on online purchasing behaviour of a “visit, look, buy” premise.

To maximise sales, each of those elements requires its own special measures. But investing your resources in all those

areas is not effective.

Listingads

SEO

Banner ads

Emailads

SNS

Recommendations

LPO

Usabilityimprovements

Blogs

EFO

ReassuranceCustomers Shop

Contact forms

Shopping cartsProduct pages

Landing pages

VISIT LOOK BUY

PO




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Using trust logos to drive visitor acquisition According to a Macromil l survey (source ht tp: //www.japaninc.com/pdf_s tats/s tats45.pdf) , the t rustworthiness of a website is more important to online consumers than product prices and the site’s appearance when deciding whether or

not to make a purchase or application. Thus, to ensure ongoing support from online shoppers, website operators need

to earn and maintain their trust.

Well-known companies and brands have an advantage when it comes to the perceived

reliability and security of their websites. But most website operators are small and

medium-sized enterprise which have to win that trust through hard work. One meansof reassuring website visitors is to make effective use of trust logos issued by widely

recognised organisations to show that the site meets the standards required to receive

the mark. Websites that use the Thawte SSL Certi cates can display the Thawte Trusted

Site Seal for free on their site. Visitors can click on the seal to ensure that Thawte has

authenticated and validated that the website operator is an actual existing entity, thus

making the site more trustworthy.

84.5%84.5%

75.8%72.1%

45% 44%42.1%

36.6%28.1%

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Which of the following criteria do youuse when choosing which website to buyfrom? (Choose all that apply)

‘An Investigation of Consumer Perceptions of

Online Shopping’, March 2009, MACROMILL,INC

80

60

40

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0




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Using trust logos to improve customer conversionLanding Page Optimisation (LPO) and Entry Form Optimisation (EFO) are known methods of improving customer

conversion rates (e.g. the rate at which people who visit and view a website go on to make a purchase or sign up for

membership). Here, too, trust logos can be useful.

If you accept credit cards online or ask users to submit personal data or create an account, you need to show that your

web site can be trusted. Displaying a Seal on landing and payment pages serves to reassure visitors. By clicking on the

seal, visitors can con rm the following:

1. That data is encrypted

2. That the company or organisation operating the site actually exists (if the site has an SSL Certi cate)

The Thawte® Trusted Site Seal gives your web site instant credibility in the online world by visually reassuring customers that your site’s identity has been veri ed and that it is secured with SSL.

Displaying the Thawte Trusted Site Seal is not simply a case of posting an

image on your site. The mark has been developed to prevent unauthorised

copying. Clicking the seal brings up the authentication data of the website,

which was veri ed when the certi cate was purchased and is subsequently

provided by the veri cation page that appears.

[ organization ] Woodgrove Bank

[ domain ] www.woodgrovebank.com

[ country ] United States

[ current status ] Valid

[ valid from ] 2008.11.19

[ valid until ] 2010.01.17

Valid CertificateSecured by

[ organization ] THAWTE, INC.

[ domain ] www.thawte.com

[ country ] US

[ current status ] Valid

[ valid from ] 07-Oct-2013

[ valid until ] 31-Aug-2014

This information is included in the SSL certificate that we issue. Thisenables you to check t he site's validity yourself. Always check a site'scertificate before entering any sensitive information. Below are the detailsfor certificate: THAWTE, INC.

[ buy ssl certificates ]




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An Extended Validation SSL Certi cate is also an effective way to improve conversion rates; by displaying the name of

the authenticated company or organisation in a special section of the address bar shown in green – a website visitor cantell immediately that this site is trustworthy and secure. EV SSL Certi cates are issued only to websites that undergo a

more stringent authentication process than that of a regular SSL certi cate, and indicates that the site offers a higher

level of security. When visiting an EV SSL secured webpage in your browser, part of the address bar turns green, which

serves as a visual reminder of the trustworthiness of the site. Moreover, the padlock icon and display of the authenticated

company’s name further add to the visual reinforcement of the site’s security.

When optimising your site to attract greater visitor numbers and improve your conversion rate, designing your site to be

secure is an effective way of enhancing your optimisation measures. For instance, using a well-known trust logo and EV

SSL can make your site seem more trustworthy and secure. Displaying trust logos and maintaining solid security in your

website increase the likelihood that rst-time visitors to your site will perceive your site as trustworthy and come back

time and time again. And when viewed over the long term, the difference can be huge.



Contact Details

If you have further questions,

or would like to speak with a Sales Advisor,

please feel free to contact us:

Email: [email protected]

UK: +44 203 450 5486

Germany: +49 69 3807 89081

France: +33 1 57 32 42 68

Live Chat: https://www.thawte.com/chat/chat_retail_new.html

www.thawte.com

© 2014 Thawte, Inc. All rights reserved. Thawte, the thawte logo, and other trademarks, service marks, and designs are registered or unregisteredtrademarks of Thawt e, Inc. and i ts subsidiaries and affi liates in the United S tates and in foreign countries. All other trademarks are propertyof their respective owners.

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